Instructions for buyers: how to choose buckwheat correctly

Buckwheat is one of the healthiest and most commonly consumed cereals. It contains many minerals and vitamins, is easily digestible and is suitable for nutrition at any age. To maximize the beneficial effect, you need to be able to choose the right buckwheat, taking into account its variety and packaging method.

In this article we will tell you how to choose buckwheat and which company makes buckwheat better than others.

Varieties of buckwheat

What kind of buckwheat is there? There are two types of cereals on store shelves:

1. Yadritsa. It is obtained by grinding buckwheat in large millstones. During this treatment, it is possible to separate the shell from the nutritious part of the seeds.
2. The second type of cereal is called cut, or prodel. This is the same kernel, but fragmented. After crushing, the chaff is well sifted. The part that is larger in size goes into the “large work” category, the remaining grains are sold in the “small work” category.

After initial processing, all types of buckwheat are well fried or steamed. The grains become hard and acquire their usual brown color. This product can be used in cooking to prepare various dishes. The chaff is only suitable for cooking viscous cough, and regular - for crumbly ones. Both types can be added to cutlets, meatballs and casseroles.

Recently, a third type of cereal has begun to gain popularity among buyers - green buckwheat.It will appeal to those who prefer healthy eating and carefully monitor their weight. Green buckwheat is an ordinary buckwheat that has not gone through the roasting stage. This product remains soft, has a green color and completely retains all the beneficial substances.

Important! Green buckwheat is used for sprouting and then added to porridges and salads. Prolonged heat treatment of this cereal leads to loss of beneficial properties.

Which type of buckwheat is the most delicious?

Regardless of the variety, buckwheat will always have a pleasant natural taste. The exception is for batches that were improperly stored or transported.

When they talk about varieties of buckwheat, they always mean the core; it is divided into three types:

• kernels of the first or highest grade — considered the cleanest and most well-processed, it does not contain extra seeds or poorly processed kernels;
• second grade kernel — in a bag with this cereal, up to 7% of husks, industrial waste and other cereals are allowed;
• third grade kernel - is considered the most unclean and can contain up to 10% of foreign impurities in the packaging.

First grade cereals are always better than others. But if you sort out buckwheat with foreign impurities, it is in no way inferior in taste to the most elite.

This is interesting:

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The benefits of eating buckwheat with kefir on an empty stomach in the morning.

Rating of the best buckwheat producers

When choosing, buyers ask themselves which buckwheat brands are the healthiest. To find out which manufacturer is the best, the Roskontrol organization conducted a study. Experts evaluated five brands of buckwheat according to several indicators.

The results of the experiment are presented in the table.

The most useful was Uvelka brand buckwheat. It does not have the highest rating in terms of taste, but there are absolutely no unnecessary impurities in it.

Other selection criteria

When buying cereal, it is important to focus not only on the manufacturer and variety. The batch may have been stored incorrectly or undergone incomplete technological processing, so when choosing buckwheat you should pay attention to packaging, smell and taste, and appearance.

Package

As a rule, buckwheat, regardless of the variety and brand, is sold in plastic bags. This packaging protects well from moisture and dampness. Be sure to inspect the package for tears, holes and other damage before purchasing.

Good cereal should not contain foreign impurities. It is desirable that the kernels have the same size and color - this indicates the quality of roasting and sorting.

Important! Pay attention to the net weight on the package. Often varieties of equal quality are sold at the same price, but differ in the contents of the package.

Appearance

The processed cereal has a pleasant brown color of varying intensity. This color indicates that the buckwheat was steamed. This product boils quickly and is suitable for preparing crumbly porridges. But steamed kernels retain few useful substances, so they should not be purchased for baby or diet food.

Uncooked cereal has a pale creamy hue that gives off a greenish or yellowish tint. It takes longer to cook when steamed, but retains significantly more nutrients.High-quality kernels are as close to each other in color as possible, the edges of the grains are lighter than the center.

Attention! If the color of the cereal is deep brown with a red tint, you should not buy such a product. It has been intensely fried and contains nothing beneficial. The edges of such nucleoli are darker than the center.

Taste and smell

These are the main selection criteria for the buyer. High-quality buckwheat should not smell like mold, dampness, chemicals or fungi - this indicates improper storage, poor processing and low quality raw materials.

Cooked kernels should not be bitter or have a sour taste. Such grains are contaminated with microorganisms dangerous to humans and can cause poisoning.

Buying Tips

When choosing buckwheat and consuming it, use the recommendations of experienced housewives:

• You shouldn’t believe the “premium” and “extra” labels on the packaging, this is nothing more than an advertising ploy by the manufacturer;
• even when buying buckwheat of the highest and first grades, it is better to wash the kernels, since it is unknown what dust settled on them before entering the bag;
• Be careful with small producers, they often skimp on equipment and roast buckwheat rather than steam it;
• the maximum shelf life of kernels is 20 months, but due to errors in transportation and maintenance of the container, it may be reduced;
• during hot periods, protect the product from moths and bugs;
• porridge is cooked in a ratio of cereals to water 1:2, buckwheat swells quickly, it is not recommended to stir it;
• The core goes best with fish dishes and vegetables;
• after the water has boiled, it is recommended to keep the cereal for another 30 minutes under the lid;
• Cook the porridge only over low heat.

In order not to reduce the shelf life of buckwheat, do not store it at home in an opened package. Pour the cereal into an airtight jar, preferably a glass one. Then insects and harmful microorganisms will not get into the product.

Read also:

What does the body lack if you constantly crave buckwheat?

How to properly spend a fasting day on buckwheat and kefir and how much weight you can lose on such a diet.

The benefits and harms of buckwheat for human health.

Reviews about buckwheat

Customer reviews of cereals from different manufacturers will help you choose the type of buckwheat that will satisfy your needs 100%.

Julia: «We have been buying the Uvelka brand for several years now. During use there was not a single extra speck. At the same time, the porridge always turns out tasty and aromatic. I like that the cereal is sold in small portion bags that are placed in paper packaging. There is no unpleasant smell during cooking, the taste is pleasant, without a chemical aftertaste.”

Anastasia: “I prefer Makfa products.” Overall, very good buckwheat. It is almost impossible to find extra impurities in it, although sometimes they exist. During cooking, the porridge does not become soft and does not smell anything unpleasant. Good for adding to cutlets. But I really don’t like the packaging; after opening it quickly breaks, so I have to pour everything out.”

Ilmira: “For me, green buckwheat “For the benefit of everyone” was a discovery. Of course, it is not at all suitable for boiling, frying or stewing. Its main goal is to enrich the body with minerals and vitamins. They eat sprouted buckwheat. The packaging is made of paper, so I recommend pouring the cereal into a more secure container. Sprouted kernels have a specific taste and not everyone will like them.”

Conclusion

Buying high-quality buckwheat is the basis for the health of your family and loved ones.This familiar product may differ in quality and taste. Carefully check each pack of cereal - this is the only way to purchase truly healthy and vitamin-rich buckwheat, which will have a classic aroma and color.